In our final week of our “Meet the Candidates” series the individuals running for Moorestown Council answered the question: “Make your final pitch. Why should you be elected to town council?”
People should vote for me because I believe in those things the residents of Moorestown value: transparency and openness in government, honesty and fairness, and careful planning for important decisions affecting each and every citizen.
I am not a politician. We don’t need professional politicians in Mooretown, we need citizens. Citizenry is a journey, not a destination. It can’t be purchased with political contributions — it is earned by putting the interests of the town first. I have spent my entire professional life bringing parties with disputes together to resolve thorny issues, and have acted as an advocate for people with divergent views. I have extensive financial experience that I can bring to bear, to work through difficult financial issues facing the town. I can do these things in order to bring sensibility and responsiveness to Town Hall and its decision-making.
I will change the environment in Town Hall. The environment is built around patronage and backroom arrangements. Any doubt in voters’ minds about this fact, can easily be dispelled by looking at the handling of “pay to play”. An ordinance was introduced to increase nearly tenfold “pay to pay” limits for businesses. The citizens had to file a petition signed by over 1,300 people, informing council they were not acting in the best interest of the town. No legitimate business reason was ever articulated for increasing “pay to play” limits. Citizens’ voices were heard, only they had to take action to place the issue on the November ballot. Moorestown was made a laughing stock by articles in the Inquirer saying that council acted in spite of the protests of citizens. This is wrong from Moorestown. I will bring confidence and reliability back to Town Hall, as I have only the best interests of the town in mind.
I would consult the many people involved in the liquor referendum to determine how to find a sustainable use for the liquor revenue. I would not use it to plug gaps in the budget. I would do the hard work necessary to make sure we had a plan for the money, and would not spend it at all until we had a firm and sustainable plan for the use of the money.
Our town spends a small fortune on consultants. This is not done in order to get the best advice, it is done to garner political patronage and favorites. This is wrong for Moorestown. If elected, I will have no one to answer to except the citizens of Moorestown and I will end this type of behavior.
I will make sure that I keep each of my promises to the people of Moorestown. I will bring transparency, responsiveness and careful thought to important decisions.
Anyone who knows me knows I am passionate about Mooretown. I want the town to be the best it can be. Moorestown is my home, and it’s not being run properly. I can use my skills as an attorney and financial person to bring transparency to government, involve citizens in government, create processes for the town, and make Moorestown a better place to live and do business
Vote on Nov. 4 for Edmond George for Moorestown Town Council.
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Elections are about choices, and this year, Moorestown voters have the opportunity to choose the vision that has been clearly laid out by the Jordan/Delgado team. It is a vision that would lead to lower taxes, a more efficient municipal government, and a brighter future for Moorestown. It’s one that will move Moorestown in a positive direction, and one that will see our town council working together in a bipartisan fashion instead of creating unproductive friction. And most importantly, it’s a vision that will put Moorestown first.
If elected, I will work hard to find ways to lessen the tax burden on our residents by streamlining processes, seeking grant dollars to offset costs and cutting unnecessary spending. I will explore the possibility of shared services to save taxpayer dollars, and I plan on working with our township manager and CFO to make sure every dollar being spent in our town is being spent wisely, efficiently and is resulting in the best possible services to our community.
I pledge to be a friend to open space and sustainability during my term in office. I will work with the Open Space Advisory Committee to set long-term preservation priorities, ensuring that we are maintaining our current preserved open spaces while exploring the possibility of additional land acquisitions. And I will work with my colleagues to examine options for new green initiatives that can both benefit taxpayers and protect the environment.
I will make sure that our township assets are being protected by ensuring our town continues to update or replace any aging infrastructure, maintaining our new Library and Town Hall, and making sure that our athletic facilities are receiving the care they deserve over time to avoid costly repairs down the road.
A town council that includes Jordan and Delgado is a town council that will always operate under the belief that government works for the people and not the other way around. I will work to deliver open, accessible government that taxpayers can be proud of. I pledge to work with our township employees to broadcast town meetings so residents who cannot attend in person can watch them live or access a recorded version online. In addition, I will work with my colleagues to continue holding open office hours outside of council meetings, and will seek to launch a new, interactive municipal website that can help make local government more accessible, responsive and transparent for residents.
Finally, our team has a five-point economic growth platform that will eliminate red tape and make it easier for a business to open and thrive in Moorestown; address municipal parking to improve access to businesses along Main Street; ensure that Moorestown Mall and East Gate Square remain a premier shopping and dining destination; work with the recently-formed Lenola Advisory Commission to cultivate a stronger business climate in the Lenola Town Center; and explore additional public-private partnerships between Moorestown and our local business community. We will also utilize technology to make the permitting process more efficient so residents and contractors can receive required inspections and approvals in a timely manner.
I am not a politician. I am a husband, a father and a citizen who is looking to make a difference. I will not beholden to special interests, and I will not serve narrow ideologies. I will work closely with Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike to deliver results instead of rhetoric, to fight for tax relief and to build a better tomorrow. I thank the good people of our town for their consideration. Stacey Jordan and I would be humbled and honored to earn your vote on Nov. 4.
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The reason why I should be elected to Moorestown Council is that I will place the citizens of Moorestown first, not a political party. Decisions will be made according to the best interests of Moorestown residents, and not to advance a political agenda.
I have lived in Moorestown for over 19 years with my husband, Mark Hines, and my two children: Alex, a sophomore at Boston University, and Katie, a freshman at Moorestown High School. During this time I have been involved with environmental issues and have been an advocate for Open Space, Strawbridge Lake and environmental education such as the STEM sponsored Open Space Festival. I currently serve on the Environmental Advisory Committee to Town Council. My volunteer work for Moorestown has usually been behind the scenes, without fanfare, and frankly that’s how I would have liked it to remain. I don’t consider myself a politician and this is the first time I have ever run for public office, but something happened last summer, August 2013, that shook me to the core of my being. It started with Town Council forcibly implementing a new law allowing the amount a citizen or business can donate to candidates or political committees to increase by almost 10 times. This doesn’t benefit anyone except those wishing to win favor and lucrative contracts with the township. Citizens were outraged and voiced their opposition to a town council that did not hear them. A group of citizens were so upset, they enacted a petition getting 1,400 signatures door to door to force a referendum on the topic. The completed petition was taken to town hall and coincidentally that same day, town council issued a statement saying it decided to rescind the new law. When questioned why they pulled the law, it said its decision had nothing to do with the citizens’ petition. This action disturbed me in two ways. First, I was shocked by council’s disregard for the voice of the citizens. Second, this was an example of “big city politics” finding its way into Moorestown. As I said, this shook me to my core. It was then I knew I had to enact change. This is not how government is supposed to operate. We should have a transparent government that has the trust of the people. Decisions should be based not on what is best for a political party, but what is best for Moorestown citizens. I believe that there is no place for politics at the local level, and if elected, I would advocate for the citizens to decide if a non-partisan municipal government is right for Moorestown. Political machines such as this have never run Moorestown before, and it is time for us to return to the civil discourse and good government that once made Moorestown the best place to live in America. Please vote for me, Elizabeth Endres, for Moorestown town council.
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When I ran for Moorestown town council, I did so because I believed I could work hard to make this incredible town even better. Four years later, I truly believe that the results speak for themselves.
The №1 issue that people cared about when I ran for office in 2010 was tax relief — and that is something I have made my top priority. This year, we have delivered a budget that kept our tax rate at a zero increase — meaning that municipal taxes did not go up for 2014. Council moved to privatize trash collection, saving our taxpayers $1.5 million over the next three years. And recently, the Republicans on town council voted to reserve the $6 million surplus that has been built to provide tax relief for our residents.
After years of residents hearing promises from candidates, we delivered on completing the Library and Town Hall Complex, again giving Moorestown a town center that we can be truly proud of. Town Council is now exploring options to update and improve our municipal parking facilities — and I want to be clear in saying that if I am reelected, I will fight any attempt to increase the price of parking on our existing meters and will oppose any move to charge for parking in our lots that are currently free.
In terms of recreation, Moorestown continues to be a leader in our region. Our athletic fields have been updated and rebuilt, all in a fiscally responsible way that did not drain our Open Space Trust Fund. The Church Street Recreation Center has received a full facelift, and is now a safe and modern facility for families to enjoy. Our programming for children with developmental disabilities has expanded, and our town has taken great steps to become more inclusive and accepting in our recreation programs. And it was just announced that my work, along with Freeholder Director Bruce Garganio, to secure $250,000 in grant dollars from the county to update the hockey rink at Wesley Bishop has been approved.
We have kept our word on open space preservation as well. Council worked closely with our county freeholders to preserve a gem in our community, the Browning/Hess Farm, which has boosted our preserved open space in town to 810 acres. We have awarded a contract to repair the dams at Strawbridge Lake with the support of the Open Space Advisory Committee, and are currently working with the Environmental Advisory Committee to improve the health and wellbeing of Strawbridge Lake going forward. In addition to this, we have initiated the process to preserve Flying Feather Farm and have partnered with the
Tree Planting and Preservation Committee to plant new trees around the township.
Lastly, Moorestown’s business climate is on the upswing, and we are seeing positive signs that all of our town’s retail districts are open for business. Moorestown Mall has welcomed a number of new high-end eateries and retail stores, and in just a few short years has transformed from struggling on life support to a vibrant shopping and dining destination. Main Street has welcomed a number of new shops and restaurants, and we have seen new businesses open their doors while existing businesses have invested in improvements in the Lenola Town Center.
If entrusted by the people of Moorestown with a second term, I plan on building on this progress in moving our community forward. Manny Delgado and I believe that Moorestown deserves a government as good as its people, and we will strive every single day to deliver real results for the people who elect us.
